The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1887-12-22

What viii the world be, oh, ] wonder as
long from this time forward as from now
back, -tu when go. rocks were being
!. kneaded into shape and that creatnReSset
worked In. I'd like to try It, IdeclaraI
SSEould. y
so would ], !" shouted asoldierly look
ing young fellow, throwing back his head
: as though bracing himself to fight any
adverse circumstances that might stand
In tt way OF his putting the thing
through. .sThey say the world is grow
ing wiser. I'd like TO pit my brains
against those Of class Of young fellows
born, say, 600 years hence,
t.And so would I miner' MAnd Ip'
5 5stAnd Ip, t.And Il,' was echoed all
around The two first speakers being
class leaders. 1t was fashionable to follow
their fancies.
ssGood ., was the comment Of the priest.
He uttered his monosyI1ab1e in deep,
awesome voice, and being q parsonage Of
grave presence and imposing dignity OF
bearing, the students, ns was theircustom,
8 all bowed their heads and reverently put
themselves in listening attitudes while he
spoke ON.
= 81 see It written In my book" He
pointed with his staff to the creatures
pretty well bleached, but still distinctly
smottled back. sOne among you is COM
manded-one. The rod pointed-moved.
There wasn't q young fellow Of them all
who didn't believe In his heart that what
ever the appointment might be, it was GER
tain to fall on him, and, for the most
part, every youngster who had said, "and.
q, 2, in his inmost soul fervently wiaAed he
hadn't Bet they were brave Aryan
boys, and, one and all, they sturdily held
{ themselves composed while the next fate
full words found voice. Zone, among
those here before me, who has been dedi-,
Gated to that experience -
But which one!
The students looked at each other with
white faces. There were twenty three Of
them. The priest, without further pre-
:1iminary words, proceeded to gather up
twenty-three pebble. stones, on each of
which he scratched q cabalistic character,
copied, he indicated, from the living page,
which he again helt down to study.
:sThese he solemn1y distributed, it being
understood that certain one bore the
mystic mandate which appointed for its
drawer a far OFF mundane resurrection to
be obtained through entering Immediately
into mundane oblivion.
o, the wild, shudd dering heart beats that
prevailed during that momentous dis
stributionl Itwas Ono, the very one who
-haa pruached such possibility, on whom
sths lot fell. Even his bold fsce blanched
when he heard his own name called. He
was IL years old. daring, naughty, self
wilIed, but precociously intelligent young
hA p1orf
for new discoveries, and for tracing out
the causes and meanings Of things. He,
with all his healthy, throbhing pulses,
and his intense rigor OF life and thought
oblivion for him2
Tho word, however, had been said. He
{ did not finch, but silently, at the beck OF
his instructor, placed himself in the fore
ground and assumed o prone position.
The very pulses Of the lockers on seemed
to have stopped their throbbings as they
circled round their daring classmate in
this awfully fateful moment.
ssHoW long, Opriest, how long is 1t that
he must be dead7" whispered one, In the
intense strain Of the moment. forgetful
even Of the immeasurable distance that
lay between his young existence and that
Of the mystic oracle.
~ s1Tin he is called" was the stern an
swer.
The speaker directly turned his counte-
nance with mighty intentness OF obser-
yation upon his youthful subject. Ono's
eyes met his. Presently he seemed to SEQ,
not pair Of human eyes, but, through
them, the approaching vistas of strange
new world, opening ont, radiant and lur-
ing Just before him. He said-was that
himself Himself-and clothed in gar
ment woven from threads made up OF all
g the memories of his life, some pure white
how they softened and beautifed the
wholei s'Would there were more OF
themIn was his reflection. Some CLEANED
an angry red. o that he could tear them
outl If he had only withheld them from
getting in! Some were changesble-rec-
ords Of deceits. Ono looked st them and
his whole soul vibrated under blush OF
shame. No hue. however, either in warp
or wool had az yet, he said, become In.
delible Here and there, too, vicious
: thread was seen to be fading under the
sunlight Of unselfsh affections and brave
endeavor. That was sweet to know.
Presently all melted into indistinctness,
giving place to deliciously restful con;
sciousness Of peace.
That was the moment when, to the
eyes Of the horror stricken lockers on,
their bold young associate, the very pride
and idol Of the class, yielded up his life.
Not one dared speak. It was treason to
question tho right Of this potential ruler
to direct their destinies, to dispose OF
their lives, even according as he willed.
More than treason. This being was pos
sessed Of superhuman capabilities He
had simply smitten the boy, Ono, with
look. Never so much as fingers tip had
he laid upon his person. A look had
compelled his life to depart out OF him.
BE bent self now, oyershadowing the
pulseless body with his gaunt person,
while his hands played kind OF rhyth-
mical movement in the air above 1t. At
length mute gesture announced to the
boys, SIT is finished
Upon that great wall rent the air.
Unnoticed by the boys, and even by the
priest himself, so entirely did the work he
had in hand tax the forces Of his soul, the
little group which surrounded the pros
trate body had been silently augmented
to multitude. ALI Ono's knsfolks were
there father, mother and swarm OF
sisters and brothers, and it was at first
with no assenting demonstrations that
they comprehended the nature Of this
very pronounced miracle, They were
speedily given to understand, however,
that there was nothing for them but to
submit. Perhaps, too, they took pride in
the fact that, of all the world, their boy
had been selected for this high destiny.